Looking to break from the standard fund-raiser at its regular location, the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, the Public Art Fund, a New York nonprofit dedicated to the creation of art in public spaces, decided to shake up its annual spring benefit by staging the Tuesday-night event at upscale bowling alley Lucky Strike Lanes. Roughly 300 curators, collectors, and artists gathered to make silent auction bids for more than 30 art pieces that ranged from minimum bids of $500 dollars to $50,000 dollars, before hitting the lanes and pool tables.
Intentionally more casual in tone, the setting provided a way to highlight the organization's mission of taking art out of formal gallery settings and placing it into public areas. The sold-out event, planned by a team that included the Fund's president, Susan K. Freedman, and a handful of benefit co-chairs, flooded the West Side venue with contemporary artwork and eager bowlers who competed for trophies without the constraints of formal attire.
Decked out in bowling shirts designed by artist Lawrence Weiner and socks donated by H.R. Miller, guests bowled while watching a slide show of the organization's past and present artworks on television screens at the end of each lane. Artists such as Robert Melee and Spencer Finch interacted with guests by serving as bowling team captains, while others including Rachel Chandler and Nate Lowman spun tunes as guest DJs. For those keen on taking home a trophy despite not earning it on the lanes, the event auctioned off additional souvenirs, including one that stood nearly five feet tall and featured gold statuettes flanked by two pink bowling balls.
In place of a conventional seated dinner, food was supplied buffet-style, allowing guests such as Mayor Michael Bloomberg, artist Mark di Suvero, and Noguchi Museum director and former Public Art Fund director Jenny Dixon, to roam the auction or take a seat in the lounges by the lanes.
In total, through the tickets and the auction, the fund-raiser fetched $350,000 for the Public Art Fund.
